Shock absorbing bumper for boats and docks



Aug. 25, 1964 E. 1.. KULKCK, SR

SHOCK ABSORBING BUMPER FOR BOATS AND DOCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct.1, 1963 Fiqmzs 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD L- KULICK 5:.

$7. I ATYORUEY Flqune I 1954 E. L. KULICK, SR 3,145,685

SHOCKABSORBING BUMPER FOR BOATS AND DOCKS Filed Oct. 1, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGURE 5 Mr 7 h h I Flquns 6 I INVENTOR. EDWARD L- KULICK5R.

United States Patent 3,145,685 SHOCK ABSORBING BUMPER FOR BOATS ANDDOQKS Edward L. Kulick, Sr., 4516 SW. 28th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale,Fla. Filed Oct. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 313,029 4 Claims. (Q1. 114-220) Thisinvention relates to shock absorbing bumpers for boats and docks.

The invention contemplates an elongated bumper for both dock piling andalso for the marginal portion of a boat and with the bumpers beingmovable in an arcuate path and to be opposed in its movement by torquerods.

One form of the invention comprises an elongated vertically disposedbumper that is provided with a plurality of cushion rollers and with thebumpers being supported both upper and lower by torque rods that areanchored into a channel member that is fixed to the piling of a dock andwhereby the bumpers may swing in a hori- Zontal are when engaged by aboat.

In another form of the invention, an elongated bumper having cushionrollers are supported outwardly from the edge of the boat or the edge ofthe rub rail and that constitutes a bumper for the sides of the boat andthe bow portion thereof when the boat contacts a piling or otherobstruction and with the second form embodying a rotatable tube in whichis anchored a torsion rod and with the tube carrying laterally extendingarms for supporting the bumper.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be moreclearly apparent during the course of the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has beenillustrated the preferred forms of the device and wherein likecharacters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout theseveral figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing a bumper devicemounted upon the piling of a dock,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view thereof,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a bumper device mounted upon the side and bowportion of a boat,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6- -6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1-3,there has been illustrated a dock 5, supported by the piles 6. Fixed tothe outer side of the pile 6, by bolts 7, is a channel member 8. Thechannel member is of elongated form to extend a predetermined distanceinto the water, indicated at 9. Fixed in opposite ends of the channelare bearing plates 10. The bearing plates 10 are preferably providedwith nylon bushings 11, for the rotative reception of torque rods 12.The inner ends of the torque rods 12 are bent at a right angle andproject thtrough apertures 13 of one side wall 14 of the channel member8. A clamping plate 15, bolted to the bottom of the channel member 8 byscrews or like fastening devices 16 whereby to engage upon the rightangle ends of the torque bars 12 and whereby to maintain the torque barsin a fixed position at their inner ends. The torque bars projectoutwardly from the bearings 11 and are bent at a right angle, as shownat 17 and then upwardly and downwardly as indicated at 18 for engagementinto the opposite ends of a tubular core 19, that constitutes thebearing for a plurality of cushion rollers 20 that are formed of rubberor any other suitable cushioning material. The rollers 20 are heldagainst shifting movement with respect to the ends 18 of the torque rodsby collars 21, fixed to the ends 18 by set screws 22. As shown in FIGURE2, the upper portions 17 of the torque bars are angled outwardly andwhereby to provide a suitable swinging movement of the bumper devicetoward and from the piling. The torque rods 12 are preferably formed ofsteel or like metal that is capable of twisting when a load is impartedthereto by the rollers 20 when a boat engages the device.

In the use of this form of the invention, the torque rods are bent tothe shape indicated and the ends 12a inserted through the apertures 13and then fixed into the channel by the clamping plate 15. The rods 12have rotative movement in the bearings 11 and with the clamp 15 and theends extending through the apertures 13, the torque rods are preventedfrom shifting up or down with respect to the channel 8. When a boatengages the group of rollers 20, the torque arms are swung inwardly,creating a torsional movement in the rods 12. When preessure is relievedfrom the rollers 20, the torsion set up in the rods 12 will return therollers and the angled ends of the torque rods outwardly to the positionillustrated in FIG- URE 2 thus, the torque rods constantly urge therollers and associated mechanism outwardly and will absorb any shock orbumping action by the boat. The plurality of rollers 20 function todispose the bumper at a sufiicient depth within the water and above thewater whereby to function as a bumper in various degrees of tideconditions. The entire assembly as illustrated in FIGURE 1, being firstassembled, is then fastened to the outer side of the piling 6 by thebolts or lag screws 17, providing a very novel bumper device that willabsorb shock of a boat engaging therewith to a sufficient degree as willbe determined by the torque capacity of the rods 12.

Referring now to FIGURES 4-6, there has been provided a mounting bumperfor the sides of boats and the bow portion of the boat, such bumpercomprising a tubular member 23 that is anchored to the deck 24 of theboat at one end by a bearing block 25. The block 25 is preferablyprovided with a nylon bearing bushing 26. At the opposite end of thetubular member 23 there is provided a fixed bracket 27 and a nylonbearing 28 is inserted into one end of the tube 23 and bears against thebracket 27. Extending through the tube member 23, is a torsion rod 29,the rod 29 at one end extends through the bushing 28 and through thebracket 27 and is welded or otherwise fixed to the bracket as indicatedat 30. The rod 29 at its opposite end is bent at a right angle, asindicated at 31 and extends through an aperture 32 of the tube 23. Sincethe rod cannot rotate, due to its fixed end 30, rotation of the tube 23will cause a torque action upon the rod 29 by the end 31 that isanchored to the tube.

Extending from the tube 23 are two or more arms 33. The arms 33 are ofgoose-neck shape as illustrated in FIGURE 5, for a purpose to bepresently described. The arms 33 at their outer ends are provided withbear ings 34 that embrace a rod 35, that extends through the pluralityof cushion rollers 36. The cushion rollers 36 may be formed of rubber orother cushion material and the rod 35 may extend through a tubularmember, not shown, that passes through all of the rollers and thebearings 34. The outer ends of the rods 35 are bent laterally to preventdisengagement of the outermost rollers 36. It will be observed in FIGURE4, a shorter bumper device of like construction is illustrated as awhole by the numeral 37 and this device is mounted upon the bow portionof the boat. structurally, the device 37 is substantially identical tothat just described. While one bumper device has been illustrated, itwill be apparent that a plurality of such bumper devices may be employedupon one or both sides of the boat. The goose-neck arm 33 permits aprotective bumper action against piling or other fixed obstructions andpermits the rollers and the arms to swing downwardly to a point adjacentthe sides of the boat and such swinging action is determined by thetorque capacity of the rod 29. This form of the invention provides aprotective bumper device that is always biased outwardly by the torquerod 29 so that the boat may engage piling or other obstructions that arenot equipped with bumper devices, such as that illustrated in the firstform of the invention. While the bumper device 37 has been illustratedas a separate unit, it follows that the rod 35 may be arcuately curvedto form a continuation of the bumper around the curve of the boat.

The bumper device of FIGURES 46, while being provided with bumperrollers 36, may obviously omit the rollers 36 and to provide a singlerelatively stiff rod of corresponding length that is connected to thearms 33 and that constitutes the bumper element. The rod could obviouslyextend around the curve of the boat to accommodate the bumper device 37.

It will therefore be apparent, that a very novel bumper means has beenprovided for boats that furnishes adequate protection against damagingthe boat when docking against fixed piling. The torque rod 29 at alltimes biases the arms 33 away from the side of the boat and likewise theroller assembly 36 produces a very desirable protective means for theboat.

The bumper devices of this invention are novel in construction, arestrong, durable, cheap to manufacture and avoids the use of any springsor other tensioning means for returning the bumpers to their normaloutward position.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fallwithin the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scopeof the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A bumper device for yieldably opposing a boat that is moving in apath toward a piling of a dock, the bumper device being verticallyarranged and parallel with the piling, the bumper device embodying aplurality of cushion rollers that are rotatable upon a tubular shaft, achannel member that is fixed to the outer side of a dock piling, torquerods disposed within the channel and with the torque rods extending fromthe upper and lower ends of the channel and journaled in bearingscarried at the upper and lower ends of the channel, the outer ends ofthe torque rods being bent to an angle outwardly beyond the face of thechannel and with the free ends of the rods being bent downwardly toengage into the opposite ends of the tubular shaft of the rollers, theopposite ends of the torque rods being bent at a right angle and clampedupon the base of the channel whereby the rods are caused to create atorque action when the rollers are engaged by a boat, the tubular shaftand the rollers being parallel to the channel member and with therollers constituting an abutment that is elongated and extends above andbelow the surface of the water to form a bumper for all degrees of tidelevels.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the channel member isclosed at its upper and lower ends and apertured to receive nylonbearings, the said torque rods extending through the bearings tofacilitate a twisting action of the rods, the inner ends of the torquerods being bent at a right angle and engaging through apertures formedin a side wall of the channel member and a clamping plate engaging overboth of the inner ends of the torque rods, the extended ends of thetorque rods above and below the upper and lower ends of the channelbeing bent at an acute angle with respect to the axial center of thetorque rods and whereby to dispose the group of rollers in a positionoutwardly beyond the face of the channel, the movement of the rollersinwardly when engaged by a boat being limited by the ability of thetorque rods to twist.

3. A bumper device for mounting engagement upon the sides and bowportion of a boat, comprising a tubular shaft, the shaft being rotatablysupported in parallel relation to the deck of the boat and journaled atits opposite ends in nylon bushings, the tubular shaft being providedwith laterally extending arms having bearings at their outer ends forthe reception of a shaft, a plurality of cushion rollers mounted uponthe last named shaft and with the opposite ends of the shaft being bentlaterally to prevent disengagement of the outermost rollers, a torquerod extending through the tubular shaft and with one end of the torquerod extending through a journal member and welded thereto againstrotation, the opposite end of the torque rod being bent at a right angleand engaged within a notch formed in the outer end of the tubular shaftand whereby to prevent rotation of the torque rod with respect to thetubular shaft, the tubular shaft adapted to rotate in its bearings underthe influence of a pressure exerted against the rollers and with thetorque rod due to its connection with the tubular shaft being twisted inits length to impart a torque action in the rod and to oppose therotation of the tubular shaft.

4. The structure according to claim 3 wherein the arms project from atubular shaft in a direction outwardly beyond the marginal edge of theboat, the said arms being of goose-neck shape and whereby the bumper maybe swung toward the side of the boat and with the goose-neck forming aclearance between the arms and the edge of the boat, the bumper devicebeing swung in an arc toward the side of the boat when contacted by animmovable object or possibly another boat and limited in its swingingmovement by the ability of the torque rod to twist.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS659,078 Lieb Oct. 2, 1900 2,417,849 Walters et a1. Mar. 25, 19472,438,432 Edwards Mar. 23, 1948 2,677,936 Hewitt May 11, 1954 FOREIGNPATENTS 879,255 Great Britain Oct. 11, 1961

1. A BUMPER DEVICE FOR YIELDABLY OPPOSING A BOAT THAT IS MOVING IN APATH TOWARD A PILING OF A DOCK, THE BUMPER DEVICE BEING VERTICALLYARRANGED AND PARALLEL WITH THE PILING, THE BUMPER DEVICE EMBODYING APLURALITY OF CUSHION ROLLERS THAT ARE ROTATABLE UPON A TUBULAR SHAFT, ACHANNEL MEMBER THAT IS FIXED TO THE OUTER SIDE OF A DOCK PILING, TORQUERODS DISPOSED WITHIN THE CHANNEL AND WITH THE TORQUE RODS EXTENDING FROMTHE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF THE CHANNEL AND JOURNALED IN BEARINGSCARRIED AT THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF THE CHANNEL, THE OUTER ENDS OFTHE TORQUE RODS BEING BENT TO AN ANGLE OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE FACE OF THECHANNEL AND WITH THE FREE ENDS OF THE RODS